Number One
by x-ToxicScorpion-x
Summary: five years after Aizen's defeat, most of the Soul Reapers and Ichigo's friends are now living in the human world. In a turn of events, everything changes and Ichigo begins to wonder whether anything will be the same again. Pairings- Ichigo/Rukia, Ichigo/Orihime, Orihime/Sado, some others :3
1. Chapter 1

**Ichigo's P.O.V**

****"Hello? Grimm? Dude, it's like, three in the morning! Why are you ringing me?"  
"To be honest bro, no offense, but I'm not too thrilled about havin' to ring yer either." I rolled my eyes at Grimmjow's grumpy greeting.  
"What's going on?"  
"That's what I wanna know. Can ya tell me why yer girlfriend's just turned up at mine, bawlin' 'er eyes out?"  
"what?"  
"Ori? Orihime? Yer girlfriend? Anyway, she just knocked. Get yer ass over here, alright?"  
"Can you please tell me what- Grimm? Grimmjow? Hello?" The bastard had hung up.

Grumbling, I made my way over to Grimm's, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes. knocking on the door, I could see Ori curled on the sofa, next to Grimm.  
A few seconds later, I was inside the warmth of Grimm's house. Sitting opposite them on the other sofa, I eyed Orihime carefully. Her eyes had puffed up, and she was wearing what looked like flannel PJ's. Her hair was all messed up and tears were still running down her cheeks.

"Okay. So Ori, what happened?"  
"Ichigo... Well... Earlier, Sado came round to talk..."  
"Yeah? He didn't hurt you, did he? I'll kill him-!"  
"No! No Ichi, Sado didn't hurt me. I'm... I'm in love with him, Ichi! I'm sorry!"  
"What?"  
"We were just talking, and I was on about my brother, you know, and I just looked at him, and we went quiet, and then... I just kissed him. I don't know why, I just realized I've never looked at him as a friend. I'm sorry, Ichi!"  
Inwardly, I hauled a sigh of relief. So it seemed that now I didn't need to worry about upsetting Ori about breaking up with me- she was breaking up with me herself. On the outside, though, I guessed I had to make it appear I was upset. Screwing my eyes up so they produced some tears, I leapt up. "God, Ori, I see how it is. I better go then, so you can go back to Sado- my BEST friend- and make it up to him too!" I walked quickly out of the flat, grinning silently to myself.

Tearing my way home, I bumped into Shuhie and Rangiku, walking along holding hands.  
"Shuhie, Rangi? Why the hell are you out now? It's three in the morning!"  
"Relax, Ichi. We were just hanging around at the Soul Disco, no big deal."  
I sighed. The guys loved the human way of going clubbing- they where the only couple I knew who liked to go together.  
"What do you look so cheerful about?"  
"Ah, Ori broke up with me. Which is good, because now I don't have to break with her."  
"Ohhhh-kayyyy. Why now?"  
"Don't ask. Hey, do you know which way Rukia lives?"  
"Rukia?"  
"Yeah... okay, don't tell anyone this, but I've kinda fancied her for ages, and she was flirting with me at Urahara's party last week... So I guessed I might tell her that Ori broke up with me."  
"Alright, well, it's over there, the blue house with the flower garage."  
"Sweet, thanks!"

Five minutes later, I stood at Ruki's doorway, trying to sum up the courage to knock and tell her. Seven minutes later, I was standing at my own door, after freaking out.

AU: Sorry it's terrible, I've literally not thought this through apart from a basic idea:3

Tell me what you think or whatever xD


	2. Chapter 2

**Rukia's P.O.V.**

Pausing the TV, I frowned. It sounded like someone was coughing outside my front door. Glancing at the clock, I shook my head and settled back down. Who would be standing outside my house at this time? I was probably hearing things.  
A few minutes later I heard someone say "Shit." and then footsteps went way from my house. I ran over the window to see what was going on, and saw Ichigo walking away. Silently, I slipped out of my front door and followed him down the street. When he stopped outside his front door, I guessed something had happened, and went round the back so I could climb into his room and meet him there.

Ichigo had moved out of his dad's house the day after he had turned twenty, and I hadn't been inside his room at his new place. I jumped through the partly open window and looked around. He had painted it red, with various anime posters on the wall, and had a black rug and bedspread. I smiled. It was so different from his old room, with its pale lemon walls and green, yellow and blue furniture - it looked like my little strawberry had all grown up. Noticing a picture frame on the table (black) next to his bed, I walked over and picked it up. Ori, her eyes wide with her arm around Ichi's neck, grinned happily out from the frame, while Ichi squinted with a smile into the bright flash of the camera. I recognized it as the picture on the beach I had taken for them last summer.

I decided to carry on nosing around - it had been a while since I last had a good pry at Ichi's belongings, however bad that sounded. Disappointingly, I didn't find much but socks, boxers... and a box of condoms. I shook my head, thinking how weird that was. I hadn't really thought of Ichigo doing that kind of thing, which was stupid- he was twenty, after all.

An hour later, Ichi still hadn't come up to his room, and I was tired of looking around. Flopping on the bed, I frowned at something sticking out from under the pillow. A small tug exposed that it was a photo, probably of Ori. I pulled it further, gasping in surprise when instead of seeing Orihime's beautiful grey eyes, I saw my own indigo-blues meeting my gaze steadily. I was wearing a Kimino with a blue flower tucked behind my hair and a small smile on my face, and I was stood outside the soul society. I guessed it was taken a few months back, when we went back to visit the Soul Reapers we left behind.  
_"Why the hell does Ichi have a picture of me under his pillow?"  
_

Five minutes later, I heard Ichi stumble up the stars, and hastily pushed the photo back under his pillow. He stopped on the landing, and I thought he must be about to go to the toilet instead, until the door behind me gently swung open and Ichigo's shadow fell next to me.

"Rukia?"

**Ichigo's P.O.V**

Up until today, I'd thought the weirdest thing in the world was the way Ori laughed at things that weren't funny. I changed my mind the minute I walked through my bedroom door and saw her, with her back facing me.

"Rukia?" I asked, still not believing my eyes. She span around, her eyes confused and unfocused until finally they settled on me.  
"Oh hi, Ichi."  
"What are you doing here?" I thought back to standing out of her house, seeing her silhouette through the white curtains, curled up on her beanbag.  
"I saw you outside my house. I was wondering if everything was okay?"  
I cursed at myself. Rukia had cat-hearing - I should have known she heard me outside her house. "Oh. Well, everything's okay... I just came to talk to you, and then chickened out, I suppose."  
"Why did you come to talk to me at, like, three in the morning?"  
"Well, Uhhrr..." I couldn't see my way out of this one. I looked at Rukia, and she stared steadily back. "Well, Ori broke up with me. I came to tell you."  
"Oh Ichi! Are you okay? You two have being going out forever!"  
I dismissed her statement with a wave of my hand. "To be honest, I've been looking for a reason to break up with her these last few months. She was kinda clingy- I mean, the minute I moved in here, I could see in her eyes she was already looking for a place to put her potpourri. You know, in case I asked her to move in."  
"Oh. So, what happened anyway?"  
"She and Sado are seeing each other."  
"She cheated on you? I know you wanted to break up with her and all, but that's mean!"  
"Oh, It's not her fault. Ori has always had a flighty mind, for as long as I've known her. It's not her fault, she was probably born like that. I think her brother dying made it worse, though. Anyway, she didn't really cheat on me. She kissed him, and was in floods about it."  
I realized I was still stood in the doorway with my hand on the door handle, and so I stepped inside, shut the door, and sat on my bed. Rukia carefully sat next to me, pulling down on the hem of her dress until it was nearly at hear knees. Inwardly, I grinned. Rukia was always so ladylike - until she got a zanpakutō in her hand and a hollow in front of her, that is.  
Her gaze fell on the black guitar resting next to my bed, and picked it up.  
"I didn't know you could play."  
"Some. Can you?"  
She avoided the question. "Play me something. Please?"

Taking the guitar out of her hands, I lent back, closed my eyes, and began picking out the notes of one of my favourite pieces ever. A few minutes later, I smiled as I hit the last chord, and opened my eyes. "I normally always get that bit wrong."  
Rukia was staring at me. I immediately felt self-conscious. "What?"  
"Some? _Some?_ You're amazing! How did you get the chords to come through at the same time as the notes? It sounded like there were, like, four guitars playing!"  
"Just how I play. And I'm not amazing, but thanks."  
"Oh, stop being modest. and Never Meant To Belong? Interesting song choice there."  
"I love it. It sounds so sad, but so happy at the same time. Sort of like the person has wanted for something for so long, and now there's a chance to get it, and he doesn't know how." I dropped the line casually, hoping she would pick up on what I meant - that now I was single I wanted to know if there was any chance for us, but I didn't know how to ask her - but she just smiled and nodded.  
"I thought it was on violin and piano?"  
"Uh, it was. I transposed it and wrote it up to make it suitable for guitar."  
"Bit of a music whiz are we, Mr. Kirosaki?" She asked, her eyes laughing at me.  
"bit of a joker are we, Miss Kuchiki?" She rolled her eyes and grinned at me, and I laughed. Next thing I knew, she had lent over and grabbed my lyric book. "What are these?"  
I quickly went to grab the book of her, but she snatched it away too quickly and started flicking through.  
"You write up lyrics to your favourite songs?"  
"Uh, yeah." I thought it was probably best to lie, considering the girl the lyrics described was very much like her.  
"Wait. Soul Candy? One of your favourite songs is called Soul Candy?"  
"Um, yeah."  
"These are your songs, aren't they?"  
"Alright, so they are. Problem?"  
"Who's this girl you're talking about?"  
"What girl?"  
"The girl with sapphire eyes and a diamond soul. Ori has grey eyes, doesn't she?"  
"Oh yeah! Who say's it's about her?"  
"What do you mean?"  
I sighed dramatically. "Funny thing, Ruki. You see, there are a lot of girls in the world with indigo eyes."

She wacked me roughly round the head, knocking me onto the floor, and giggled hysterically as I grabbed her round the waist and pulled her down with me. We tussled for a while, until, abruptly, we both stopped exactly the same time. We looked at each other silently, and I noticed the way her pupils widened, and she tipped her head back. Hesitantly, I bent forward and pressed my lips to hers.


	3. Chapter 3

**AU: Sorry, some fluffy romance-y stuff in this one, but it'll get better, I promise! I don't own any of the characters, only the plot, blah blah blah- also sorry about any OOC-ness- This is just how I picture Ruki and Ichi xoxo**

Rukia's P.O.V.

I gasped as my eyes flew open. He was kissing me! Ichigo Kurosaki, the guy who I'd been pining after for the last few years, had his lips on mine and his hand twined in my black hair. I smiled against him and wrapped my arms around him, feeling him tense in surprise.  
"Rukia…"  
"Yeah?"  
"I… Love you."  
"I closed my eyes again and smiled. "Love you too, Ichi."  
His beautiful brown eyes opened sleepily in shock at the same time as we realised what I had said, and his eyes stared directly into mine. "You... LOVE me?"  
"Yeah… I guess… I always have. Ever since you saved me from the soul society. That day, just before you saved me on the day of my execution, you looked into my eyes and I just saw pureness and such care…I love you, Ichigo Kirosaki. Never forget that."  
"Rukia?"  
"Yes, Ichi?"  
"I've been wondering for a while… what does your name mean?"  
I grinned. "Well, I don't actually know. I've thought it could come from "Rue"- or flower- or even from the Italian word "Lucia". That seems like it could be right, because my sister named me, and she left me a note calling me her "Sun light". Rukia is also the title of a bird that lives near Micronesia, so it could be any of those. And Kuchiki, well, that means Rot wood. I think we all know what yours means, Strawberry!" I winked at him and giggled as he growled and pretended to slap me.  
"Ichi means One and go means guardian, and that's what I am!"  
Alright then, Number One Guardian. So, protector boy, when did you decide you loved me?"  
"The day I met you. I looked at you and thought "Dang, she's awesome."  
"Really?"  
"Yeah."

We sat there in silence for a while, until Ichigo's substitute Soul-reaper badge started bleeping. "Bloody, bloody hollows…" he cursed as he fumbled to pick it up.  
I sighed. "I guess we better go to this one."  
"Awwwhhh… are you sure Toshiro can't go sort this one?"  
"Ah, Ichi! Don't be mean! You know Toshiro is seeing Karin tonight!" I almost laughed at the over-protective-big-brother glimmer that came to Ichi's eyes. "He better be good to her…"  
"Oh, Ichigo, stop it! Karin is sixteen now and if anything, you need to be more worried about Karin hurting Toshiro! You know Captain Hitsugaya is far too in awe of her to ever hurt her."  
"Still…"  
"So shut up and get your ass ready, or I'll punch you."  
"Alright, Alright! Jeez, you're more dangerous than any Shinigami Captain."  
"I'm taking that as a compliment, and there's nothing you can do about it!" I stuck my tongue out at him. "I don't see you getting ready, Strawberry-boy!"  
"Stop being so damned impatient! And quit calling me that!"  
"What do you mean, Strawberry?"  
"I guess I'll have to shut you up myself!" He growled and clapped his mouth to mine.  
I needed to wind him up more often.

**Ichigo's P.O.V**

While Ruki and I where running to the scene of the Hollow attacks, I kept sneaking sidelong glances at her. She was mine. All mine, finally. I couldn't let anything hurt her now, not after all the time I'd waited for her.  
"Ichiii! Why do you keep looking at me?!"  
Oops. I guess I wasn't as discreet as I thought.  
"Just looking at how short you are - Kyaaaa! What was that for?!"  
She smirked. "If you don't like being wacked, don't make references to my height." She announced smugly. "Now, call yourself a Soul- Reaper? Get your ass into gear!"

We finally ran into the clearing where the Hollow was supposed to be, but instead of hearing it roar, we heard a muttered chorus of Hi's.  
I spun around.  
"Rangiku? Renji? Shūhei? Orihime and Chad? Uryū? Ikkaku? Yumichika? Kenpatchi and Yachiru? Toshiro… YUZU AND KARIN? Hitsugaya! Why are my sisters here? Well? Answer me!"  
Toshiro blinked his large turquoise eyes at me. He had grown considerably since he had returned to live in the Human world in his Gigai- he was now almost my height and looked around seventeen, just a little older than Karin and Yuzu. "Ichigo. Calm yourself. Karin insisted she come with me, and I believed it may be safer for her. We met Orihime and Rangiku with Yuzu here- as she was staying with them they felt it would be best for her to come here too. If we had, they may have been targeted, as they both have extremely high spiritual pressure."  
"What do you mean, "targeted"? What's goin' on, Toshiro?"  
"It appears the Grand Fisher that your father killed never really died."  
"WHAT? You're kidding me, right? This is all just a massive joke? Well, it's not funny, you guys!"  
Rangiku stepped forward, her pale eyes meeting mine. "We aren't joking, Ichi. He really has returned. And he's got a lot stronger. This might be something that we all struggle with - he appears to be even more than Espada - level now." I looked Rangiku up and down. She looked better than she had for a while- she seemed to have been mourning Gin. We never found out what had happened to him and this upset Rangiku most. She had Gin had been childhood friends, and everyone know that the two of them had had serious chemistry. I felt glad that Shūhei was obviously making her feel alive again- Rangiku was one of my closest friends, and I owed everything to her for looking after Karin and Yuzu like a mother figure and Orihime as a friend when they needed her most. She was genuinely sweet below the layer of outrageous flirting and the love to show off her body. Out of everyone, I regarded Rangi as the closest thing I had to a third sister.  
"What do you mean?"  
Renji cocked his head, Zanpakūto in hand. It was only then that I noticed the spirit forms of all the Zanpakūto present were stood behind them silently. Renji took a step forward, closely followed by Zabimaru, in the form of a woman partially covered in green fur only revealing part of her chest and abdomen with hair the same colour as Renji's Bankai jacket. There was also a child-like figure that was attached to a chain that wrapped around the woman Zabimaru's waist, and had red hair and a cobra-like tail.

All three of them regarded me silently- until Renji opened his big mouth, that is. "It means, Ichigo, that we have the perfect opportunity to kick some ass!"

AU- Hope you like it! review or whatever and let me know what you think! sorry about mistakes- I proof myself :3 xoxo


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